500 jrh expander die

[Bignutt]

What do you guys use for expanding your 500 jrh? I'm trying to use the rcbs 500 smith die but by the time I get a good flare on the case mouth I bulge the case about halfway down. Any options?

[pal82]

Any brand of die should work for this job. I have always found RCBS expanding dies to work very well. Take the expanding plug out and measure it. The shank of the plug should measure .498 or a little less, before the flair. Make sure it's clean, round and smooth. Only flair deep enough to get the boolit started.

I use a Lee 500mag die set for 500JRH. Works very well. The expander die body had to be shortened .200" and the expander plug needed polishing with fine emery cloth and jewelers rouge (while spinning in a drill press). Lee expander plugs have a bead blasted finish, which I don't like.

[Bignutt]

I believe the diameter of the expander plug is ok it's just that it's too long. I hear about a lyman M die on here ,never looked into them ,maybe they are just for rifles? They sound like a good deal if it would work for this, for now I think I'm going to try to cut a little length off and round it over again.

[ebner glocken]

I use the expander out of my .50AE hornady die set. Works just fine for the JRH.

Ebner

[44man]

I use Hornady .500 S&W dies. The expander is the proper length.

[lar45]

I used to use the Lee 50AE expander, but then 44man told me about the Hornady set and that's what I now use.
I think we should get a group buy going for a Lee factory crimp die for the 500 JRH.

[ole 5 hole group]

This is what I do. I purchase Redding dies and take out the stem from the expanding die and polish it down until nothing touches the brass except the bell portion. It flares the JRH case perfectly for me. After seating the bullet I use the Redding Profile crimp die for "normal" loads. On the full house loads I use the regular roll crimp die.

I have found some 440 grain cast bullets to be just a bit long and will buldge the JRH case just enough so the loaded cartridge won't go into the charge hole.

The Hornady 500 grain jacketed bullet is perfect for the JRH - you will probably find most 500 grain cast bullets are just a tad long for the JRH.

[44man]

I can't use the extra crimp die for many calibers unless I use jacketed "evil things!" Some of my boolits will not go through them and the brass will be sized.
I seat and crimp at the same time in the seat die. I don't trust the Lee FCD, brass is too expensive and hard to find. My crimp is just moderate like the .44, etc, case tension works best.
Believe me, just use the Hornady seat die. It is an inline seater like a BR die.

[snowwolfe]

I used to use the Lee 50AE expander, but then 44man told me about the Hornady set and that's what I now use.
I think we should get a group buy going for a Lee factory crimp die for the 500 JRH.

Or do what I do. I had my smith put a Redding .500 S&W crimp die in his lathe and he trimmed 1/4 inch off the top and it works perfectly.